Notable Transfers

The only saving grace of this debacle is the fee being £15 million cheaper than his release clause (£37 million), and Benfica did not receive another Chelsea prospect, as they did three years ago when the Portuguese club negotiated Matic into a packaged deal that sent David Luiz to Stamford Bridge.

Matic has world-class potential as a box-to-box midfielder but can also shield the back four as a pivot.

The fact that Blues management were willing to disregard the grovelling nature of signing back a Chelsea player suggests Matic will play a significant role for the team.

Hopefully his second spell at the club will be a success just like Cesc Fabregas at Barcelona after the Catalan club let him go to Arsenal and had to sign him back for £35 million.

This transfer sets a smart precedent going forward regarding how Chelsea management should handle players who are not an important member of the first team.

Instead of throwing them away in packaged deals for other players, a la Matic, Blues management need to actively pursue deals that lean towards their advantage.

Granted, the £16.7 million is £8.3 million below what Chelsea originally wanted (£25 million, as per Matt Law of The Telegraph), it still represents a £10 million profit having signed him from Genk for £6.7 million.

He was an invaluable member of Rudi Garcia's midfield rotation at a club contending for Serie A.

Bradley was a Garcia-type of player: understood his role in the team, would wait for his chance, come into the line-up and distribute the ball accurately.

Garcia did not want to lose Bradley, but it could be a win-win situation for all three parties: Roma have upgraded Bradley to Radja Nainggolan, Toronto receive a classy player and Bradley will get a career payday.

Kirchhoff is a tall and mobile defender who can play in midfield. He has world-class potential, and Bayern manager Pep Guardiola rates Kirchhoff enough to have played him off the bench seven times in league play.

The move to Schalke will give Kirchhoff the minutes he needs. He is good enough to be a future Bayern starter.

It is being reported [by AS] that Betis are paying out €2.3 million for the deal.

Los Beticos, currently bottom of La Liga, will reportedly take over the player's wages for his six months at the Benito Villamarin, totaling €850,000, whilst Atletico will be paid €1,250,000 for loaning him out.

Baptistao was electric for Rayo and he will need to score a goal a game if Betis are to stay in La Liga.

Biggest Rumour of the Window so Far

Alastair Grant/Associated Press

When asked if Schalke left attacking midfielder Julian Draxler had been given a tour of Arsenal's facilities, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said the reports "were like a UFO sighting," as per Jamie Sanderson at The Metro.

Schalke could "be open to offers this month" for Draxler, so Arsenal have a chance of signing him, per Jeremy Wilson at The Telegraph.

In Schalke's 109 years of existence, they have sold a player for £15 million plus once (Manuel Neuer to Bayern for £19.5 million in 2011), so Schalke will be inclined to sell Draxler.

Instead of playing him on the wings, he has the potential to be a world-class No. 9 like Thierry Henry.